BALTOPS (Baltic Operations) is an annual military exercise, held and sponsored by the Commander,

United States Naval Forces Europe United States Naval Forces Europe-Africa (CNE-CNA), is the United States Navy component command of the United States European Command and United States Africa Command. Prior to 2020, CNE-CNA was previously referred to as United States Naval Forces ...

, since 1971, in the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain. The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and ...

and the regions surrounding it. The purpose of BALTOPS is to train

gun A gun is a ranged weapon designed to use a shooting tube (gun barrel) to launch projectiles. The projectiles are typically solid, but can also be pressurized liquid (e.g. in water guns/cannons, spray guns for painting or pressure washing, p ...

nery,

replenishment at sea Replenishment at sea (RAS) (North Atlantic Treaty Organization/Commonwealth of Nations) or underway replenishment (UNREP) ( U.S. Navy) is a method of transferring fuel, munitions, and stores from one ship to another while under way. First develo ...

, anti-submarine warfare (ASW),

radar Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, we ...

tracking & interception,

mine countermeasures A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to damage or destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, any v ...

seamanship Seamanship is the art, knowledge and competence of operating a ship, boat or other craft on water. The'' Oxford Dictionary'' states that seamanship is "The skill, techniques, or practice of handling a ship or boat at sea." It involves topics a ...

, search and rescue,

maritime interdiction operations Maritime Interception (or naval interdiction) operations (MIOs) are naval operations, that aim to delay, disrupt, or destroy enemy forces or supplies en route to the battle area before they do any harm against friendly forces, similar to air interd ...

and scenarios dealing with potential real world crises and maritime security.

BALTOPS in the 1980s and 1990s

In 1985, Commander, Destroyer Squadron 14, was tasked with exercising freedom of navigation in the Baltic and U.S. support for Northern European NATO countries. The mission of the first BALTOPS was to 'show-the-flag' to maintain the U.S. right to sail in international waters even those in the Soviet Union's backyard. BALTOPS '85 added the objective of increasing the U.S. Navy's tactical proficiency in a strategically vital and challenging sea and air environment. To do this, Commander Destroyer Squadron 14 was assigned a Surface Action Group of six ships: , , , , , and . In late June 1990, Rear Admiral Thomas D. Paulson, Commander Cruiser-Destroyer Group Two, led and to visit Poland in conjunction with BALTOPS '90. Their port call at

Gdynia Gdynia ( ; ; german: Gdingen (currently), (1939–1945); csb, Gdiniô, , , ) is a city in northern Poland and a seaport on the Baltic Sea coast. With a population of 243,918, it is the 12th-largest city in Poland and the second-largest in th ...

represented the first visit by United States Navy vessels to Poland since 1927. Since 1993 it has been a major contributor to the

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

programme

Partnership for Peace The Partnership for Peace (PfP; french: Partenariat pour la paix) is a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) program aimed at creating trust between the member states of NATO and other states mostly in Europe, including post-Soviet state ...

, which aims to strengthen and create trust amongst

former Soviet Union The post-Soviet states, also known as the former Soviet Union (FSU), the former Soviet Republics and in Russia as the near abroad (russian: links=no, ближнее зарубежье, blizhneye zarubezhye), are the 15 sovereign states that wer ...

states (

Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...

, Latvia, Lithuania) its former satellites (

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...

Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...

and

Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...

) and NATO. All these states have since joined NATO. Common participants are (but not limited to):

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, Latvia, Lithuania,

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

, Sweden,

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

United States of America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...

(commanding country) The 26th annual maritime exercise Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) '98 in the Western

took place from June 8–June 19, 1998. During the exercise, the commander, Carrier Group Eight, commanded the exercise from USS ''Vella Gulf''.

BALTOPS 2008 (36th)

BALTOPS 2008 took place between 8 June to 18 June 2008. Its objective was to promote mutual understanding, confidence, cooperation, and interoperability among the forces and personnel of the participating nations, as well as support national unit and staff training through a series of exercises. BALTOPS 2008 included surface warships, submarines, aircraft, and ground forces from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Rear Admiral Daniel P. Holloway supervised BALTOPS 2008, and the guided-missile cruiser served as his flagship during this exercise. ''Gettysburg'' was accompanied by the guided-missile destroyer and the fleet oiler as part of the U.S. Navy's Task Group 369.4. Following BALTOPS 2008, the ''Cole'' paid a port visit to Stockholm, Sweden, on 27 June 2008, and ''Gettysburg'' paid a post-exercise port visit to

Kiel, Germany Kiel () is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 246,243 (2021). Kiel lies approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the southeast of the Jutland pe ...

. ''Gettysburg'' returned to Naval Station Mayport, Florida, on 14 July 2008, completing this two-month-long 2008 surge deployment for Carrier Strike Group Twelve.

BALTOPS 2009 (37th)

On 16 June 2009, USNI bloggers took part in a DOD Bloggers Roundtable with Rear Admiral John Christenson, USN, Commander of Carrier Strike Group 12, the Enterprise carrier strike group. The topic of the call was BALTOPS 2009. According to DODLive, “BALTOPS 09 is a joint operation that allows personnel from partner nations to prepare for disaster relief efforts, humanitarian assistance, and peacekeeping efforts.” Moreover, according to DODLive, “this is the 37th anniversary of Exercise BALTOPS and includes Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States.” BALTOPS 2009 participating vessels: * HDMS Glenten (P557) * HDMS Makrelen (P554) * HDMS Esbern Snare (L17) *

HDMS Thetis (F357) HDMS ''Thetis'' is a ''Thetis''-class ocean patrol vessel belonging to the Royal Danish Navy. In mid-1990s the ship served as a platform for seismic operations in the waters near Greenland. In 2002 she took over the role from her sister ship ...

* HDMS Peter Tordenskiold (F356) * HMS St Albans (F83) * FGS Elbe (A511) * FGS Karlsruhe (F212) * FGS Hameln (M1092) * FGS Puma (P6122) * FGS Nerz (P6124) * FGS Zobel (P6125) * USS Forrest Sherman (DDG-98) * USS Mount Whitney (LCC-20)

BALTOPS 2011 (39th)

BALTOPS 2011 occurs from 3–17 June 2011 among NATO and Partnership for Peace participants. Led by the United States, BALTOPS is a USEUCOM directed, COMUSNAVEUR sponsored, and

United States Sixth Fleet The Sixth Fleet is a numbered fleet of the United States Navy operating as part of United States Naval Forces Europe. The Sixth Fleet is headquartered at Naval Support Activity Naples, Italy. The officially stated mission of the Sixth Fleet in ...

executed exercise. The primary planning and execution commander is Commander Carrier Strike Group Eight. The mission of BALTOPS 2011 was interoperability among forces and personnel of participating national unit and staff training objectives through a series of robust training exercises. BALTOPS 2011 participating countries include Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, France, Georgia, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, The Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and the United States. BALTOPS 2011 participating vessels: * EML Ugandi (M315) *

HDMS Absalon (L16) HDMS ''Absalon'' (F341) and her sister ship are the two members of the . The lead ship of the class is named after Danish archbishop and statesman Absalon and received full operational status in 2007. Design The ships are the first in a ser ...

* HDMS Havkatten (P 522) * HNLMS De Ruyter (F804) * HSwMS Gävle (K22) * HSwMS Sundsvall (K24) * Leopold I (F930) * RFS Minsk (127) * ORP Generał Tadeusz Kościuszko (273) * FGS Schleswig-Holstein (F216) * LKL Sūduvis (M52) *

USS Philippine Sea (CG-58) USS ''Philippine Sea'' (CG-58) is a Flight II ''Ticonderoga''-class guided missile cruiser on active service in the United States Navy. She is named for the Battle of the Philippine Sea during World War II and is the second ship to bear the n ...

BALTOPS 2015 (43rd)

17 countries took part in BALTOPS which starts on 5 June until 20 June. Allied participation demonstrates NATO's resolve to defend the Baltic region, and will hone the ability of Allies and partners to work together. Participants include Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States. BALTOPS 2015 participating vessels: * EML Sakala (M314) *

EML Tasuja (A432) EML ''Tasuja'' (A432) was a diving vessel built in 1977. She served in the Danish Navy as KDM ''Lindormen'' until 2004. Handed over to the Estonian Navy, she was commissioned as EML ''Tasuja'' in the Mineships Division until 2016. History ''L ...

* HDMS Peter Willemoes (F362) * HDMS Niels Juel (F363) *

* HDMS Hirsholm (MSD-5) * HDMS MSF-1 *

HMS Iron Duke (F234) HMS ''Iron Duke'' is a Type 23 frigate of the Royal Navy, and the third ship to bear the name. ''Iron Duke'' has intercepted several large consignments of illegal drugs being sent from the Caribbean to Europe. In her only combat mission, sh ...

* HMS Quorn (M41) *

HMS Ocean (L12) HMS ''Ocean'' was a Landing Platform Helicopter, formerly the UK's helicopter carrier and the fleet flagship of the Royal Navy. She was designed to support amphibious landing operations and to support the staff of Commander UK Amphibious F ...

HMCS Fredericton (FFH 337) HMCS ''Fredericton'' is a that has served in the Canadian Forces since 1994. ''Fredericton'' is the eighth ship in her class which is based on the Canadian Patrol Frigate Project. She is the second vessel to carry the name. ''Fredericton'' se ...

* HSwMS Malmö (P12) * HNoMS Otra (M351) * HNoMS Rauma (M352) * FNS Hämeenmaa (02) * LVNS Virsaitis (A53) * HNLMS Makkum (M857) * HNLMS Urk (M861) * HNLMS Zierikzee (M862) * HNLMS Willemstad (M864) * HNLMS Luymes (A803) * ORP Bukowo (632) * ORP Mewa (633) * ORP Resko (637) * ORP Mamry (643) * ORP Wigry (644) * ORP Lublin (821) * ORP Gneizno (822) * ORP Kondor (297) * TCG Göksu (F497) * HSwMS Sundsvall (K24) * FS Eridan (M641) * FS Somme (A631) * MV Blue Capella * LNS Skalvis (M53) * LNS Kuršis (M54) * LNS Žemaitis (P11) * FGS Lübeck (F214) * FGS Braunschweig (F260) * FGS Hemerlin (P6123) * FGS Wiesel (P6129) * FGS Hyâne (P6130) * FGS Auerbach (M1093) * FGS Fehmarn (A1458) * FGS Donau (A516) * USS Vicksburg (CG-69) *

USS Jason Dunham (DDG-109) USS ''Jason Dunham'' (DDG-109) is an in the United States Navy. She is named after US Marine Corps corporal Jason Dunham, who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for service in the Iraq War. ''Jason Dunham'' is the 59th destroyer in her ...

* USS San Antonio (LPD-17)

BALTOPS 2020 (49th)

BALTOPS 2020 took place from 7–16 June 2020 among NATO and Partnership for Peace participants. The exercises were concluded by the

. BALTOPS 2020 participating countries include Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States. BALTOPS 2020 participating vessels: * EML Sakala (M314) * EML Wambola (A433) * FNS Purunpää (41) * FGS Werra (A514) * FGS Donau (A516) * FGS Lübeck (F214) * FGS Rhön (A1443) * LVNS Tālivaldis (M-06) *

ORP Druzno (641) ORP may refer to: * Okręt Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej, a Polish Navy ship prefix * Operational Ration Pack, UK military * Orpington railway station, Bromley, England * O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (fo ...

* LNS Aukštaitis (P-14) * LNS Skalvis (M53) * HMS Ramsey (M110) * HNoMS Otto Sverdrup (F312) *

* HNMLS Urk (M861) * HNLMS Zierikzee (M862) * USNS Supply (T-AOE-6) * USS Donald Cook (DDG-75) * USS Mount Whitney (LCC-20)

BALTOPS 2022 (51st)

A total of 14 NATO nations, including NATO partner nations Finland and Sweden, took part in the 51st annual maritime-led joint Baltic Operations (BALTOPS 22). The NATO allies, including Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Turkey, the UK, and the US will participate in the exercise which took place between 5 and 17 June 2022. BALTOPS 2022 was shadowed by Two Russian

Karakurt-class corvette The Karakurt class, Russian designation Project 22800 ''Karakurt'' (russian: Каракурт, , Latrodectus tredecimguttatus European Black Widow), is a new class of Russian corvettes (small missile ships in Russian classification) which have b ...

were around the area of the BALTOPs naval exercise in the Baltic Sea. BALTOPS 2022 participating vessels: *

HMS Defender (D36) HMS ''Defender'' is the fifth of the Type 45 or ''Daring''-class air-defence destroyers built for the Royal Navy. She is the eighth ship to bear the name. Construction of ''Defender'' began in 2006, and she was launched in 2009. The ship com ...

HMS Archer (P264) HMS ''Archer'' is the lead ship of the . As the lead ship she was one of several of her class to be completed in 1985 by Watercraft Marine, the original shipbuilders — most of the remaining vessels were completed or built by Vosper Thornycroft. ...

* HMS Charger (P292) * HMS Explorer (P164) * HMS Exploit (P167) * HMS Ranger (P293) * HMS Smiter (P272) * USS Kearsarge (LHD-3) * FNS Uusimaa * HSwMS Nyköping (K34) * USS Mount Whitney (LCC-20) * USS Porter (DDG-78) * ORP Toruń * German frigate Sachsen

Gallery

File:East German frigate Berlin underway on 1 October 1985 (6409381).jpg,

East Germany East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...

Koni class frigate The Koni class is the NATO reporting name for an anti-submarine warfare frigate built by the Soviet Union. They were known in the Soviet Union as Project 1159. 14 were built in Zelenodolsk shipyard between 1975 and 1988. They were originally i ...

''Berlin'' underway during NATO Exercise BALTOPS '85, on 1 October 1985 File:USS Harry E. Yarnell (CG-17) docked at Gdynia, Poland, on 27 June 1990 (6457711).jpg, USS ''Harry E. Yarnell'' at

during BALTOPS '90 File:Aukstaitis-1993-3.jpg, Lithuanian navy Grisha class corvette underway during BALTOPS '93 File:HMS Smyge front.jpg, HSwMS ''Smyge'' underway during BALTOPS '94, on 7 June 1994 File:US Navy 040611-N-1823S-244 The Polish Lublin-class minelayer ORP Poznan, opens its ramp in preparation to receive U.S. Marine Reservists on a Zodiac combat raiding raft.jpg, ORP ''Poznań'' during BALTOPS '04 File:US Navy 050606-N-5258M-011 Russian destroyer RFS Nastoychivyy (DD 610) is currently underway participating in Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) 2005.jpg, Russian Navy ''Nastoychivyy'' underway during BALTOPS '05 File:Finnish Rauma-class missile boat FNS Naantali (PTG 73).jpg,

Finnish Navy The Finnish Navy ( fi, Merivoimat, sv, Marinen) is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. The navy employs 2,300 people and about 4,300 conscripts are trained each year. Finnish Navy vessels are given the ship prefix "FNS", short f ...

''Naantali'' underway during BALTOPS '08 File:US Navy 100608-N-3970R-426 The amphibious command ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC-JCC 20) and the Russian navy landing ship Kaliningrad (LSTM 102) are underway in formation on the second day of Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) exercise.jpg, USS Mount Whitney during BALTOPS '10 File:180609-N-TJ319-0139 (42734546251).jpg, TCG ''Gediz'' and HDMS ''Iver Huitfeldt'' during BALTOPS '19, on 9 June 2019 File:KDM Søløven (Y311) at anchor in the Baltic Sea on 16 June 2019 (190616-N-FC670-005).JPG,

Royal Danish Navy The Royal Danish Navy ( da, Søværnet) is the sea-based branch of the Danish Defence force. The RDN is mainly responsible for maritime defence and maintaining the sovereignty of Danish territorial waters (incl. Faroe Islands and Greenland). O ...

patrol vessel A patrol boat (also referred to as a patrol craft, patrol ship, or patrol vessel) is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defence, border security, or law enforcement. There are many designs for patrol boats, and the ...

''Søløven'' at anchor during BALTOPS '19, on 16 June 2019 File:German frigate Lübeck (F214) underway in the Baltic Sea on 8 June 2020 (200608-N-RG482-0423).JPG,

German Navy The German Navy (, ) is the navy of Germany and part of the unified ''Bundeswehr'' (Federal Defense), the German Armed Forces. The German Navy was originally known as the ''Bundesmarine'' (Federal Navy) from 1956 to 1995, when ''Deutsche Mari ...

frigate ''Lübeck'' underway during BALTOPS '20, on 8 June 2020

References

{{Commons category, BALTOPS Military exercises involving the United States Baltic Sea